Question about bike trainer
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2023
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Question about bike trainer
Hi all. I am living in UK and new to this forum.
I would like to ask about bike trainer. I have a 20 inch folding bike and want to buy a bike trainer. I find it difficult to find a suitable one. Most of the bike trainers are for 24-28 inch wheel. Could anyone suggest some bike trainer?
I would like to ask about bike trainer. I have a 20 inch folding bike and want to buy a bike trainer. I find it difficult to find a suitable one. Most of the bike trainers are for 24-28 inch wheel. Could anyone suggest some bike trainer?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Scotland
Posts: 503
Bikes: Way too many
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 900 Post(s)
Liked 607 Times
in
364 Posts
I think you're going to struggle without spending a lot of money.
The wheel-on type trainers rely on resistance from a roller being pressed onto the tyre, but they only have so much movement and there's not much demand for such a trainer on a 20" wheel.
A wheel-off type trainer isn't reliant on the wheel size, since you're taking the wheel off and connecting the rear axle to an axle on the trainer. The difficultly there is that most folding bikes have lowish gear counts (5/6/7/8) and most trainers are compatible from 9 speed up. They also tend to be relatively expensive, at least £300 new.
Even if you can find a compatible one, fr what you'd spend on a trainer and cassette you'd likely be better off just buying a non-folding bike with 26" or 700c tyres. Like the Triban RC100 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/road-b...047?mc=8554266 for £250 or the Riverside 100 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hybrid...8405304&c=GREY for £200 and then a wheel-on trainer for about £50.
Or even a spin bike, which will have a built in computer with stuff like RPM, power output, and will be significantly quieter to run. You can get them in places like Argos from about £200.
I also can't imagine a folding bike will be that comfortable to use on a trainer for long but I haven't tried.
The wheel-on type trainers rely on resistance from a roller being pressed onto the tyre, but they only have so much movement and there's not much demand for such a trainer on a 20" wheel.
A wheel-off type trainer isn't reliant on the wheel size, since you're taking the wheel off and connecting the rear axle to an axle on the trainer. The difficultly there is that most folding bikes have lowish gear counts (5/6/7/8) and most trainers are compatible from 9 speed up. They also tend to be relatively expensive, at least £300 new.
Even if you can find a compatible one, fr what you'd spend on a trainer and cassette you'd likely be better off just buying a non-folding bike with 26" or 700c tyres. Like the Triban RC100 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/road-b...047?mc=8554266 for £250 or the Riverside 100 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hybrid...8405304&c=GREY for £200 and then a wheel-on trainer for about £50.
Or even a spin bike, which will have a built in computer with stuff like RPM, power output, and will be significantly quieter to run. You can get them in places like Argos from about £200.
I also can't imagine a folding bike will be that comfortable to use on a trainer for long but I haven't tried.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 5,930
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1819 Post(s)
Liked 1,695 Times
in
976 Posts
The Elite Qubo line of trainers can handle small wheels. My grandson was able to use it with wheels as small as 14"
Last edited by alcjphil; 03-23-23 at 08:18 AM.